Free NHL Hockey Prediction: Sabres vs Flames NHL Odds

Looking for Buffalo Sabres vs. Calgary Flames free hockey plays & NHL Odds? NHL betting sees the Sabres taking on the Flames on Wednesday January 16th at the Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary. Cappers Picks provides complimentary expert handicapping picks on all NHL Hockey games all season long so stay tuned for more FREE daily NHL hockey predictions like this Sabres Flames matchup.

The Eastern Conference’s Sabres make the trek west to tangle with the red-hot (that reference was too easy) Flames of Calgary. The home team has one of the best scoring duos there is in the league, so it should be a tricky one for Buffalo to go into hostile territory and come away with a ‘W’.

Buffalo Sabres

After a scintillating streak early in the season, the shine has rubbed off the apple for the Sabres. Buffalo is 3-6-1 in its last 10 and have dropped three straight. It doesn’t get any easier in the Saddledome. In fact, Buffalo has just three wins in its last 12 contests.

Mainly, the prolific scoring and the stout goaltending from earlier has dried up. Goalie Linus Omark looked like a Vezina Trophy candidate for about a month, but the netminding now has regressed back to merely league average. Franchise cornerstone Jack Eichel is still a stud, and newly-acquired sniper Jeff Skinner has been a wonderful story, but other than that, few Sabres are lighting the lamp.

All of this doesn’t bode well on Wednesday night in Cow Town.

Calgary Flames

Basically, the exact opposite diagnosis can be offered for Calgary. The Flames struggled with goaltending early on, but veteran Mike Smith has found his game and paired with strong backup David Rittich to make what is now a good goalie duo.

But make no mistake: This club revolves around Johnny Gaudreau and Sean Monahan. ‘Johnny Hockey’ has put up an amazing 69 points to date, and Monahan, sandpaper guy Matthew Tkachuk and Elias Lindholm all have registered over 50 points themselves (Monahan was an impressive 57). Rittich especially can be relied upon in the blue ice and this means Calgary is second in the NHL in goals for per game (3.68) and up to seventh in goals against.

This puts the Flames on top in the Pacific division, one point ahead of the San Jose Sharks.

Free Buffalo Sabres vs. Calgary Flames NHL Prediction:

The Flames should make mincemeat of the Sabres’ goaltending situation, and though Buffalo is starting to get loaded up with tantalizing young players, especially the defenceman (Evan Rodrigues, Rasmus Dahlin) are not finished products.

Calgary is all of a sudden looking like one of the premier teams in the Western Conference, and a bona fide Stanley Cup contender. Look out, Sabres.

About James Hayes

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